Chile Adventure
When I moved to the Northwest in 1978, I was an avid reader of fly-fishing literature. Roderick Haig-Brown, the fly-fishing Vancouver Island judge and writer, was one of my favorites. His "Fisherman's Seasons" series is a classic. A particular favorite was "Fisherman's Winter," where he wrote about a trip to Argentina and Chile to fish the streams, rivers, and lakes of Patagonia during their summer (our winter, hence the title).
The proverbial hook was set, and a couple of weeks ago, I lived my dream of fishing Chilean Patagonia, specifically the rivers and lakes surrounding Coyhaique, Chile, the capital city of the remote Aysen Region. After several days sightseeing in Santiago, I flew 2 ½ hours south and spent a week fishing out of Vista Patagonia, a small lodge owned and operated by Diego Guerrero and his wife, Macarena (Maca).
His guide team of Huff, Ben, Christian, and himself are passionate fishermen, super skilled and knowledgeable of the regional waters. We needed their expertise, as the weather was challenging with rain and winds that at times gusted to 60 kph. It’s fishing. But with their knowledge and the vast options in the region, I and the other guests were able to fish every day. I caught more brown and rainbow trout than I deserved including a close to PB brown sigh-fished brown in the reeds in a 30 kph gale!
The rivers and lakes of the Coyhaique region remind me of the Olympic Peninsula. The streams are of moderate gradient with glacial cobbles and poor nutrients. The lakes are huge, deep, cold, windy, and drop-dead gorgeous. What I found particularly interesting is that the forests in the moister areas are hardwoods, and the hillsides are filled with shrub-sized fuchsias and mammoth nalca, Chilean rhubarb. But drive an hour, and you are in the arid pampas. The fish, predominantly browns, are keyed on terrestrials and responded well to big foam flies. However, (note to self) bringing a serviceable nymphing game is beneficial.
Vista Patagonia Lodge is an intimate, fishing-forward operation. The fishing days are long with no early return due to bad weather, the food is regional and outstanding, and the overall service is first-class.
My only regret is that the trip was so short. Maybe again?
